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Dublin: 10 °C Tuesday 19 March, 2024
Consent

There was an important speech about consent in last night's episode of The Fall

Spoilers inside.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

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LAST NIGHT, THE Fall finally returned to our screens.

The season premiere was particularly hospital-heavy as it featured medics battling to save Paul Spector’s life. (He was shot in the last episode, remember?)

The setting meant that viewers were quick to draw comparisons between it and Grey’s Anatomy. (And ER. And Holby City. And Casualty.)

While some viewers found it all a little bit slow, there was one moment that took everyone’s breath away.

Towards the end of the episode, Detective Stella Gibson found herself in a hospital corridor with Tom Stagg, the husband of Rose Stagg, who was abducted and tortured by Paul Spector in season two.

After Tom wondered why his wife didn’t “fight or scream” and went with Spector, Stella delivered a powerful speech on consent.

Men always think in terms of fight or flight. In fact, the most common instinct in the face of this kind of threat is to freeze. If she didn’t fight, if she didn’t scream, if she was silent and numb, it’s because she was petrified. If she went with him quietly, it’s because she was afraid for her life.
In that state of fear, she might well have been compliant. She might well have submitted. But that does not mean she consented.

The speech resonated with viewers at home with many hailing it as “important” for both men and women alike.

People thanked writer Allan Cubitt for offering an eloquent insight into the difference between compliance and consent.

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